Meet Your Trainer

2018 UPDATE: My girls are almost both in double digits, Cameron is 11 and will be heading to Middle School next year and McKenzie will be 10 in less than a month! 5 years went by in the blink of an eye. I started Jessie’s Fit Club so I could work around my kids schedule. Personal Training and Outdoor Boot Camp are still a part of JFC but I’ve added something that truly feeds my soul! MixxeFit was added about 4 years ago which really gave me joy to be dancing for 60 minutes with some amazing students and instructors I’ve met along the way. I created KidFit to bring my joy and love for dancing to my daughters’ school as a way to get other kids moving and to be a positive roll model to them as well. KidFit has been the most rewarding addition to JFC, I love taking in shy students who are unsure if their moves are good enough and I provide them with a fun, safe enviroment to express themselves. I lead them in simple, repeatitive moves that they pick up quickly and gain confidence. Any kiddo who loves dancing, KidFit is for them!

The History of Jessie’s Fit Club

We didn’t plan to have two kids, 18-months apart, but looking back now, it was the best thing to happen to our family. The girls have an instant playmate and can hardly remember life without the other. Now that Cameron is in Kindergarten and McKenzie is in preschool, life is becoming easier in some ways while getting crazier in others. Moms know what I’m talking about; my girls are pretty self sufficient: no more diapers, they can shower and groom themselves with only a little help, and can even help out a little in the house. At the same time, the growing list of activities—not to mention they go to different schools in opposite directions—just adds to my already busy schedule. Add to this volunteering, date nights with Brent and Ladies Nights with my fellow mommy friends (my refuge!), and time seems to be speeding by. But, it’s all great.

My exercise journey

It was the spring of 2009 when I made a conscious decision to take control of my weight. McKenzie was a year old. I had ballooned up to 170lbs. At 5’3″ that’s A LOT of weight. With a trip to New York City only two months away, I resolved to make some changes. I started out slowly, but I started. At first I did videos at home on ON DEMAND while the girls napped and cut my portions down. I didn’t weigh myself. I had an old pair of 7 for all Mankind black pants that I kept trying on. In the fall of 2009, when Cameron started preschool 3 days a week another mother suggested we find a personal trainer and share her. I thought it was a great idea. I’d never worked with a personal trainer and was eager to give it a try. Our trainer, Christi, was hardcore but I loved it! I also loved that we spent a lot of time outside. I’m not sure why, but the idea of working out in a gym has always turned me off. I also learned that working out in a group pushed me a little harder. I’ve never thought of myself as very competitive but I secretly loved the challenge a group setting offered. I would work out with Christi and my group twice a week and fit in a video and a yoga class on top.

Finding a new passion

One day in the Spring of 2010, Christi asked if I wanted to go running with her and one of my group members. I had never been fond of running, it always made my chest feel as if it were going to explode, but she assured me that I would be able to keep up so I gave it a whirl. We started off in Madrona and wound down through Washington Park all the way to Madison Park. It was a nice even pace so that we were able to make the distance and the company along with the beautiful scenery of houses and water reeled me in, I was hooked!

All this working out was working! I was shrinking into a size 6. The pants that once were my device for measuring myself were now baggy on me. I needed a new goal to strive for and since my father in law was a denim designer I set off to fit into a sample size which is a 4. Now, let me preface this with the fact that even before I had kids and even when I was in college I had NEVER been able to squeeze myself into a sample size. I was always a 6 or above so I didn’t think it was possible but IF I could do it, I could have all the free jeans, cords, skirts and jackets my heart could desire. Talk about incentive! So with the help of my trainer and group and all the other active elements I had implemented ( yoga, running, videos) I made it!

The BEST part of the day and a new career

My twice weekly workouts really began to be the best part of my day! Breaking a sweat with friends for an hour a day gave me such a feeling of accomplishment. Chatting with the ladies in between heavy breathing sets was extremely fulfilling to me. In the Spring of 2011, Christi, our hardcore trainer, asked me to fill in for her as an instructor for her Bridal Boot Camp while she climbed Denali. I was blown away that she thought I was even remotely qualified but I was also excited by the challenge. The classes were held at Sculpture Park just above Myrtle Edwards Park and I was inspired by the beautiful backdrop. The brides were a fun group to train and that’s when I began to think in the back of my mind, “I think I could make a career of this.” I was a long way from being certified but my interest was sparked. Christi asked me once more to fill in as an instructor in the Summer of 2011, this time a small gym in Freemont and again I was excited to oblige. It was about this time that my work out group began to disband; summer schedules were getting in the way. Times were changing, so I thought to myself, what if I started my own boot camp?

The birth of Jessie’s Fit Club… or not

The seed of Jessie’s Fit Club was being planted but life has a way of derailing plans. My husband who had been working at an auction in Kent was laid off in July of 2011 and although I wanted more than ever too pursue my new dream of starting my own business I had to support my husband first. To complicate things further, on December 10th, 2011 I completely tore my Achilles tendon. I’m ALWAYS asked how this happened. Did I have a skiing accident? Did it happen on a run? Sadly, it did not. Sigh… here’s the truth: I was staying the night away from the hubby and kids for my cousin’s birthday at a hotel. We were drinking and we started jumping on the bed (super-mature, I know). When it was my turn, I started showing off my old signature cheerleader jump from high school (the fact that this month marks my 20th high school reunion, should have been a clue to just how bad an idea this was): the toe touch. The photo to the right is the actual toe touch that caused the injury. Well, the landing, anyway.

It has been a long recovery since surgery, but I’ve made it through and I’ve gained appreciation for rehabilitating a serious injury. I also went to school for personal training to make it official and gained my certification through NASM (National Academy of Sports Medicine). But that wasn’t enough. I’m so passionate, I have decided to round out my education to include ALL NASM certifications, including CPT( certified personal trainer), FNS( fitness nutrition specialist) and WLS (weight loss specialist)…I also will be getting my Youth Activity Specialist very soon!!! This is an exciting time for me. I love sharing the passion I’ve discovered for working with people and being a part of their own fitness and health journeys.